The Flick Lab

In this episode of the podcast, the Filipino box office queen and king Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, dubbed "Kathniel" by fans. They're a real-life couple who play on-screen leading roles together in romantic comedies. They're a force to be reckoned with in the Pinoy movie theaters. The Flick Lab couldn't resist to look for some juicy gossip around the couple. Is there any? Are the movies w...

Suicide, politics, religion. The Oscar-nominated Polish director Jan Komasa doesn't shy away from dangerous topics. Internationally, he's known for 'Corpus Christi', but lately also for 'The Hater' due to its availability on Netflix. In Poland, 'Suicide Room' was a cult hit amongst the youth, whereas 'Warsaw '44' was an artistically peculiar war film. The Flick Lab decided to watch all of his feat...

He pulls the rug from under your feet. He will torture you emotionally. He will demonstrate how societal stereotypes become lethal when combined with an ineffective police force. Dive with us into the unforgiving and emotional roller coaster of the South Korean director Na Hong-jin. Films covered in this episode: The Chaser (2008) (Chugyeokja / 추격자) The Yellow Sea (2010) (Hwanghae / 황해) The W...

[DISCLAIMER: This episode was made for April Fools 🤡 . But it was also a fun 'simulation' for us, and hopefully for you. We DO NOT have any sort of full version of 'The Day the Clown Cried'. The episode content is part factual, part improvised fantasy.] The Day the Clown Cried is one of the most wanted 'lost', or rather, unreleased films ever made. Set in Nazi Germany, it tells the story of a clo...

The late Satoshi Kon was a highly respected and creative anime director. His first two films tackle the topic of fandom. When does fandom reach toxicity and what are the underlying triggers for such behavior? Films covered in this episode: Perfect Blue (1997) (パーフェクトブルー)  Millennium Actress (2001) (千年女優)  Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edit by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab them...

Are the Hellraiser sequels worth your time? What worked, what went awry and why? Karri and Henrik discuss all the sequels of Hellraiser. Previously parts 1, 2 and 3 were analysed in detail in individual episodes . This episode here concentrates on the theme of 'What went wrong with Hellraiser', hence the focus is on the later, remaining sequels - 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 9 and 10. Films covered in this episo...

In this episode of the podcast, Karri and Henrik look at 'An Elephant Sitting Still'; an almost 4-hour feature, one of the most acclaimed feature debuts of the last decade. Is 'Elephant' a cascade of suffering? Does it depict life's meaninglessness? Does the late Hu Bo offer us a silver lining even amidst his character's darkest hours? The episode also covers the two short films 'Night Runner' and...

The original Jurassic Park is a loved classic that revolutionised the blockbuster cinema. Following the previous Jurassic Park episode, now The Lab will look at the more maligned sequels. Why did the once thought omnipotent franchise go dormant for years and return? Can the franchise be rejuvenated, or will the weight of the original drag everything down? Films covered in this episode: The Lost Wo...

The monster who punishes children for Christmas, Krampus, is part of an Alpine folklore which, still to this day is well-known in many European countries. Lately, Americans have become aware of this evil counterpart of Father Christmas. One cultural result of this is the family-friendly horror film (if that is a thing), Krampus. Happy Holidays to our listeners! The Flick Lab will now take a break...

From war horror to cheerful family comedy - Russia's Elem Klimov was able to pull off both ends. But is his 'Welcome, or No Trespassing' more than a delightful summer camp story under the surface? Is it indeed an allegory to the USSR? How did this get past the censors? Karri and Henrik join forces with the Russophiles Unite! Movie Podcast 's Ally Pitts to find out. Russophiles Unite! Movie Podcast...

Did Finland win or lose the Continuation War, and what constitutes as winning here? This week, a quick lesson on the less charted chapter of World War II to coincide with the Finnish Independence Day. Last year, TFL covered the original 1955 version of The Unknown Soldier. Now, it's time to look at the 1985 remake, the less preferred yet more realistic take on the original novel by Väinö Linna. Wh...

A dream monster or dream comedian? 'Nightmare 3' changes tonal gears and introduces more laughs and fantasy. Is it too campy or a welcome change? Welcome to prime time, dear listener. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987). Directed by Chuck Russell. Starring Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Patricia Arquette, Rodney Eastman, Laurence Fishburne. This show can be listened to on Spoti...

Goldfinger, the film that made Sean Connery a household name. The film that defined the franchise. In remembrance of the late Sean Connery, The Flick Lab goes once more to visit Bond. Episode guest appearance by Tom Frankland. Goldfinger (1964). Directed by Guy Hamilton. Starring Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Harold Sakata, Shirley Eaton. Episode image adapted from the original by Come...

What happens when an avant-garde director makes a 'found footage' short film out of the film reels of another film? For example the reality-bender called Outer Space. Watch the film on MUBI: https://bit.ly/3kq7Dgr Outer Space (1999). Directed by Peter Tscherkassky. Starring Barbara Hershey. This show can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can fin...

Cary Joji Fukunaga's debut feature Sin Nombre tells of Mexican gangs and the perilous journey to the US border in hopes of making the cross. Heard this somewhere before? Probably. Is the Mexican border the final frontier for Americans? Why are so many films made from the subject? Does anything enable Sin Nombre rise up above similar films? What is Fukunaga's goal? Sin Nombre (2009). Directed by Ca...

Horror remakes may rarely be worth your time, but what happens when Luca Guadagnino reimagines Dario Argento's Suspiria? Instead of deep reds, it's now coldness and realism. Topics include also feminism, German Autumn, the Third Reich analogies and the relevance of the several subplots to the story. Suspiria (2018). Directed by Luca Guadagnino. Starring Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Angela Winkle...

The horror classic 'Suspiria' splits opinions. Is it failed feminism or is it misogynistic? Is it giallo or not? Is it a good film? Is it a happy accident? What is the Suspiria trilogy, and are the followups in the same league? What about the rest of the Dario Argento resume? This and more within. Suspiria (1977). Directed by Dario Argento. Starring Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Alida Valli, Jo...

HANN is an Icelandic LGBT short film that took the Youtube by storm and has affected and helped the minority youth around the world. Director Runar Thor and lead actor Ásgeir Sigurðsson (Andri) kindly joined us to discuss the film in detail, the effect it has had, as well as their future projects. Watch 'HANN' on Amazon Prime: https://tinyurl.com/y62tazs7 Follow Runar Thor on Instagram: @runarthor...

There is a huge public outcry to even ban the Netflix film 'Cuties'. There are claims that the film is child sexual exploitation. Has the American cancel culture gone too far? Cuties (2020). Directed by Maïmouna Doucouré. Starring Fathia Youssouf, Médina El Aidi-Azouni, Esther Gohourou, Ilanah Cami-Goursolas, Myriam Hamma. This show can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you lis...

In anticipation of Denis Villeneuve's Dune, Karri and Henrik look at David Lynch's Dune. The director has himself disowned the film and blamed studio meddling for the shape it took. Dune (1984). Directed by David Lynch. Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Kenneth McMillan, Sting. This show can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You ca...

A 'staggering' stream of consciousness hits you in the short film 'The Staggering Girl' from director Luca Guadagnino (Suspiria, Call Me By Your Name). Where does the fine line go between narrative cohesion and artistic stream of consciousness, before the audience will raise their grievances? As usual, there is no straight answer. The film is streaming on mubi.com. The Staggering Girl (2019). Dire...

Peninsula, the long-awaited zombie sequel to the 'Train to Busan' hit film is here. Can it possibly live up to its predecessor? How does an entire city work in lieu of a train? Does 'Peninsula' have anything worthwhile left to say, politically or otherwise? Either way, does it matter, and what does? Peninsula (2020) (반도 / Bando). Directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Starring Gang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, L...

Zombie cinema has historically been societally poignant commentary. So is Train to Busan. But is the film ground-breaking or simply old tricks with a solid execution? The real-life roots of the film, such as the sinking of MV Sewol are discussed. Train to Busan (부산행 / Busanhaeng) (2016). Directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Starring Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik. This show c...

Karri and Henrik start the 'Train to Busan' zombie series with Seoul Station, which leads to the roots of the Yeon Sang-ho as an anime director. Is this 'Train' prequel of sorts worth of ones non-zombified time? Answers here within. Seoul Station (2016) (서울역). Directed by Yeon Sang-ho. Starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Shim Eun-kyung, Lee Joon. This show can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or...

There Will Be Spring is a new Finnish drama film depicting a Karelian family of war evacuees relocating to a new town as a consequence of the war against Russia in the 1940's. The themes revolve around racism, lust, loss and war. This is also the first feature-length film using Livvi-Karelian as its main language, insofar as is known. Even as such, the film is a notable work in the history of Finn...